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Week after week, I'm more convinced of the gulf in talent that exists between the top-tier of AEW and the bottom tier. You have absolute Superstars that control the crowd from the word go, like Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho and then, you have a bunch of promising talents that have a very long way to go before they get there.
It isn't even like WWE where unless you're Sting or AJ Styles, you have to invariably go through the WWE Performance Center and learn the basics. This is especially clear in the AEW women's division, where you have exceptional performers that just don't have it together at all.
That said, this motley crew of performers put on a pretty entertaining show this week, which was thankfully very different from the traditional WWE presentation, which is something I needed after the whole Survivor Series weekend. As good as the wrestling was, AEW is nothing like WWE and feels like a completely different show.
Let's begin with the best and worst, shall we?
#1 Best: MJF squares off with DDP
It was great to see two performers from two different generations square off in the middle of the ring. MJF was not cowed down by the legend that is DDP and Diamond Dallas Page did not back down from the massive Wardlow either, as the men went it at on this episode of AEW Dynamite.
As much as I enjoy the work of Hangman Page, I'm glad that it was MJF that won the ring because it will make him gloat for weeks on end. MJF needs the spotlight to shine on him for as long as possible because he is going to be the next big thing. Also, DDP is in absolutely great shape!
#1 Worst: The Freddie Mercury gimmick
I'm never going to be silly enough to suggest that Emi Sakura cannot wrestle, because not only is she amazing between the ropes, she's also responsible for teaching Riho the ropes. It's just that the whole Freddie Mercury gimmick distracts from what she is, a fantastic professional wrestler.
While the gimmick was fun at the start, I just think that the charm has worn out by now for the audience. You can see it too because there's no sense of participation when the 'We Will Rock You' section begins, as there used to be.
Emi Sakura needs to essentially be what she is, a world-class professional wrestler who's trained some of the best in the pro wrestling world. Props to AEW for showcasing so many Joshis, but sometimes the lighthearted style of their work does not connect with a mass audience.
And this is coming from a huge fan of Queen.
#2 Best: Moxley comes out to confront Chris Jericho
I thought that the match between Chris Jericho and Scorpio Sky was pretty amazing. It had all the right peak spots that got the crowd invested. Even though Jericho won the match, Sky came out looking like a star, which is what I'm assuming the purpose of the match was, to begin with.
But what happened at the end of the match is what got the whole crowd talking. Moxley came out and will most likely be Chris Jericho's next challenger. This is a great development because it's not going to be Dean Ambrose vs. a scarf-wearing Chris Jericho, ladies and gentlemen.
No, this is a war between two top stars in the AEW roster who are committed to proving that they're at the top of their game. If someone were to dethrone Jericho from his perch, I'd have to say it could certainly be Jon Moxley.
#2 Worst: No Tony Schiavone
Growing up as a WCW fan during the Monday Night Wars, Tony Schiavone was the voice of my childhood. So was Jim Ross but I just think that Schiavone's voice has the ability to make everything seem shocking and larger-than-life like few others can.
I just thought that he was missed at the commentary desk this week, to be fair. A guest announcer was brought on for some time but he hardly added anything to the proceedings.
JR seemed absolutely confused and puzzled when the new mystery faction attacked Cody Rhodes and I just thought that had Schiavone been there, his announcing would have made the segment cooler. Excalibur and JR just seem to have some kind of a disconnect during the action, that can possibly be attributed to the generation gap that exists between the two. Both men did a good job this week, but Schiavone was missed!
#3 Best: Chris Jericho celebrates with Soultrain Jones
DDP wasn't the only legend to arrive from World Championship Wrestling this week. I mean aside from Chris Jericho, who was a big part of the Cruiserweight Division, you also had Vincent, a WCW alumnus, whom you may remember as Virgil during his WWF run too.
It was very funny to see Soultrain Jones kicking the show off and the festivities that ensued thereafter. You had Chris Jericho's father show up this week and cut a heel promo on the crowd as well, which was pretty entertaining in its own right.
Jake Hager tried to get a goat to the ring but it would not relent at all. 'We the People' does not apply to animals as well, I am guessing.
There is a hilarious independent feel to everything that happens in AEW. It is cute and endearing in a lot of ways, as opposed to the safe approach of WWE, every single week.
#3 Best/Worst: A brand new faction makes its debut
I don't know why AEW is not going all the way with the rivalry between Cody Rhodes and MJF. I mean these two gentlemen had all the momentum in the world coming out of AEW Full Gear and the company should have really carried it on!
So now we're in a feud where Cody Rhodes will be feuding with Butcher, Blade, and Bunny which is played by Allie. I'm glad that Allie has been slotted into this role, but I'm just surprised that this is the direction they're going with Rhodes.
Couldn't someone else have been put into this slot instead to get them over? Someone like Jungle Boy or Joey Janela could have certainly benefited from such a feud in my personal opinion.
All said and done, however, I'm excited about this faction at this point. Let's see where it goes!
#4 Best/Worst: Omega vs. PAC
So, any match between Kenny Omega and PAC is guaranteed to be good and this one didn't disappoint either. Both men gave it their all and put on a contest for the ages before the packed crowd.
My only grouse with the match is how both men hit extraordinary hard-hitting moves on each other, but the match ended with a roll-up. I mean do moves even matter in 2019 anymore when nothing seems to score a pin?
That said, I can never fault Kenny Omega and PAC's performance and as always, the two men tore the house down with a fantastic match that wasn't watered down for TV, honestly. It was the best match that the two men could put on and they did just that!
So, what did you guys think of this episode of AEW Dynamite and did you think it was better than NXT this week?
